Watch Me Burn
by summerfell
Summary: Follows "The Art of Losing a Fox" & "The Art of Making Choices". When did life ever guarantee satisfaction? Keiko's gone missing; forcing Kurama, Yusuke and Hiei to reunite. Every second is volatile, and retribution is inevitable. Yaoi. KxH, KxY.
1. Chapter 1

**Watch me burn**

Follows "The Art of Losing a Fox" and "The Art of Making Choices". When did life ever guarantee satisfaction? Keiko's gone missing; forcing Kurama, Yusuke and Hiei to reunite. Every second is volatile, and what's holding them together could be the very thing that will finally take retribution with the fox's meddling with fate.

**Episode 1: Intuition**

_The giant impact hypothesis is the favored scientific hypothesis for the formation of the Moon. The theory postulates that the moon is formed as a result of a collision between the young Earth and an ancient Mars-sized body called Theia, the mother of Selene, the goddess of the moon in Greek mythology. After the impact, Theia's iron core sank into the young Earth's core, as most of Theia's mantle and a significant portion of the Earth's mantle and crust were ejected into orbit around the Earth. This material quickly coalesced into the Moon._

_The greatest evidence to this theory is the anatomical similarities between the earth and the moon's fundamental building blocks._

_

* * *

_

_Just gonna stand there and watch me burn_

_But that's alright because I like the way it hurts_

_Just gonna stand there and hear me cry_

_But that's alright because I love the way you lie_

_

* * *

_

Yusuke was watching television languidly when he suddenly felt it. It, akin to falling from a tree, but never landing. Or like an arrow shot to his chest, and passing all the way through. Or, a part of him had suddenly been carved out with nothing but a silent scream, like his heart.

He looked around and curiously everything else remained as he knew and expected them to be; the cavernous living room lit softly by crystal chandeliers, the fireplace gently flickering with embers, the absent chatter of the sports newscaster on screen, and the soft stretch of Kurama laid down on the rug before him, the man's head cradled on his lap. Yusuke looked down and rediscovered the pleasure and softness of the red mane; a treasure he'd been running his fingers through for the last ten minutes.

Kurama's shifting forced him to let the strands slide fully through his hand, and soon he found himself face to face with his newly-awoken lover. Green eyes greeted him, still sparkling with mischief even after all these years. The lips moved and Kurama might have started saying something, but Yusuke heard nothing but the beat of his chest as he had, once again, lost himself in the glowing face of his lover. Once more, no crumbs to lead him back to reality, for the big bad wolf had eaten them all.

A pressure on his lips, and the spell was broken.

"Welcome back," Kurama whispered, so close to him he could feel the redhead's breath on his skin. Cold.

Yusuke shook his head and grinned, then threw his body forward, effectively pinning the former fox down on the soft rug. The redhead made no attempt to resist, although at the back of his mind Yusuke knew Kurama would never be able to; brute strength had never been the fox's advantage, more so now that he, though fit and athletic as can be, had essentially lost all his demonic powers.

They kissed across the fireplace for a while, their years of becoming experts in each other's bodies being evident in the way they slid their tongues across each other. After a while Kurama pulled off, ran his hands on Yusuke's hair and smiled.

"Close the curtains, will you," he said huskily.

"Let them see," Yusuke dismissed, nuzzling Kurama's neck and eliciting a soft giggle. It's always been the redhead's most ticklish spot, and Yusuke took advantage of it every chance he got.

"Yusuke… remember what happened the last time?" Kurama said in between giggles.

"How're we supposed to know there was a field trip?" Yusuke whined, referring to weeks ago when, as they made leisurely love on the couch, they've become a show as a bunch of red-faced teenagers took notes in pretense of observing the botany garden Kurama had opened up for public viewing just beside the hall.

"Nevertheless, it never hurts to be prudent," the fox whispered with a wink.

Yusuke sighed, then started to stand up with a grunt.

As he did, _it_ came back. That feeling. Falling, and falling, and falling.

Kurama caught on quickly. Lust and mischief suddenly replaced by wariness. And then, as marked by a sharpening of the eyes, suspicion.

The former fox quickly stood up, strode towards the drawer and pulled out a revolver. Pointing it towards the corner of their room, he held the gun steady with both hands and cocked it. "The bullets of this gun are laced with poison from Makai leaves. Even if it doesn't pierce, the poison is enough to slowly eat through your skin. Show yourself," he commanded.

Yusuke eyed the corner and his eyes widened as slowly, an elongated, tube-like creature took form. It was very much like a, what was that, ah, a sea cucumber, without eyes and with veins pulsating with demonic blood. Funny, it had been _years _since a demon dared to show itself to Yusuke. Looking at it now, he couldn't help but wonder at a sight ten years ago he would've just dismissed as spooks.

He was about to shoot the ugly creature himself when he felt a hand grab his wrist.

"It's just an envoy," Kurama said, putting his gun down.

"Envoy?"

"A messenger."

"For whom?"

"We'll see." Yusuke watched as Kurama stepped closer towards the creature and put his hand on the fat gluttony muscle. The creature made no movement.

Red hair swishing as his lover turned his head and motioned for Yusuke to do the same. His face contorting into a wince that clearly said "yuck", Yusuke put his hand on the creature and found it…

Nonexistent.

Curiously, his hand pushed through the creature's body like it didn't exist. He eyed Kurama, who nodded reassuringly.

Reaching inside the creature's core, he grabbed hold of some paper which he eventually pulled out.

As soon as he took out the piece of parchment, however, the creature begun to emit a screeching sound.

"Is it supposed to do that?" Yusuke looked at his lover for answers, as was practice. He watched as Kurama's brows furrowed, and then shook his head. The screeching grew louder and louder.

"Strange, it's supposed to die upon delivering the message to the right person…" the redhead's voice trailed off as he lost himself in thought.

Suddenly, Yusuke found himself being dragged away from the screeching in a frantic run.

"It's going to explode!" Kurama shouted as they both ran towards the long hallway, then the kitchen, then heading towards the door towards the garden-

The shockwave hit Yusuke first, before the sound of explosion told him that Kurama had been right. He felt his body fly - no time to think, no time to act, and Yusuke did the only thing his body was willing to do in the speed of a thought: he aimed his body at Kurama, who in his human state would have no _chance_ of surviving the weight of the debris their own home angrily brought raining down on them.

That was his last thought, before the world suddenly turned black.

* * *

She ran, ran, ran, it was endless running and she just ignored the signals of pain her numb legs sent frantically to her brain. As she did, the words of her master echoed in her head, and it was the critical urgency that drove her foot to march in front of another, again and again as the place of happiness she knew from long ago became nearer and nearer.

The moonlight guided her, and she wondered if it was still _he_ who made it possible. It was too much of a coincidence that the light illuminated her path and seemed to follow her wherever she turned, and she smiled as she convinced herself that it _must _be him, there could be nobody else.

Stumbling, but undoubtedly moving forward, she could only hope she would reach them in time.

* * *

In the dark, his voice seemed almost caring. And at times, just to keep her sanity, she would pretend that he was, ironically, her father. Chastising her. Lulling her to sleep. Loving her. It wasn't hard – the words he said weren't as nearly threatening as she would imagine, but perhaps that was because she wasn't, and has never been, the object of this whole affair anyway.

When light shone on him, however, the malice in his eyes drove away whatever sympathy she had for the voice in the shadows. With a frenzied look that can only be a sign of unrequited obsession, he would confide in her. Tell her the weaknesses of plans of long ago, of the beauty of destruction, and of the pleasantries of death. And, sometimes, sadly, of the failure of death to end the insanity and the pain.

In the darkness and in the light, he would talk to her, and though she would never respond to the soft voice, she had begun to slowly doubt the optimism she has always carried all these years. It was never innocent, it never has been, and the things she's seen and experienced have hardened her with a lesson: goodness is a choice, and so is happiness.

Today, in the corner of her filthy prison, she would still choose to be good, and hopefully the memories of her husband, her child, and her lover of long ago would enough to keep her, if not happy, then at least, sane.

It took Yusuke no significant amount of strength nor youki to disintegrate the concrete blocks covering them. Coughing as the smoke cleared, he immediately turned his attention to Kurama, who was on his hands and knees underneath him.

"Are you okay?" he voiced.

"I'm fine," the former thief snapped back.

Yusuke drew his arm back at the sudden aggression, confused. He just watched as Kurama stood up and slapped the dust off his clothing. In the distance, Yusuke heard the nearing sounds of police sirens nearing their estate. It was good that there was nobody else in their property; Kurama had always shunned the employment of servants and butlers ("Just because you're rich doesn't mean we have to be lazy").

"Well, it was bound to happen," Kurama sighed, as he looked around and saw their living room and hallway in shambles. Unfortunately, the garden where the last of Kurama's demonic plants thrived was ruined by the explosion as well, and Yusuke immediately understood his lover's cattiness.

The police came and made a fuss of both of them, but were clearly disappointed when Kurama had, with not as much as a batting of the eye, told them that the explosion had not been any terrorist or any covert operation attack, but was in fact because Yusuke had accidentally lighted a firecracker just as Kurama turned on the gas to cook. Good thing they were to run away, but now they were safe and it was nothing a few days of renovation couldn't fix, so please leave now, thank you very much.

The sirens faded away much more slowly than when it had rushed to the scene, but they patiently waited until it was fully gone before they caught each other's eye and nodded in mutual understanding. Yusuke brought out the crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and together, they made out the scrawling of words on it.

_I hope you haven't forgotten I haven't had my revenge yet. And it begins, dearest, with the correction of meddling with fate. The fox must do as he must, and you will all thank me for her safety._

Yusuke brought his eyes up, and was met with the shadow of Kurama's. For the first time in his life, Yusuke hated his simple-mindedness. Hated the dependency on his lover for answers.

Still, he waited. He would wait, no matter how long it took.

To be continued


	2. Chapter 2

**Watch Me Burn**

**Episode 2: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho**

She collapsed exactly 10 feet away from the entrance of the temple.

No energy to walk, speak, or even breathe. She knew her kimono was being soiled by the soft mud she was struggling with no success to break free from, but she was beyond caring as the possibility of death, if it were even possible for a soul to die from sheer exhaustion, left no space for vanity in her mind. She had never failed before, no no no, but she started to prepare herself for the possibility of doing so for the first time; inside she almost choked at the thought of failing not only her master, but her friends as well.

All of a sudden, strong and small hands lifted her, and in looking sideways she caught sight of soft pink wisps flying with the movement of the figure who brought her up and carried her into the safety within temple walls.

She relaxed then, knowing whose great hands she was in. Finally, safely, the important message. The help she desperately needed.

She tugged slightly at the figure's clothing, then looked into the rescuer's eyes.

"G-genkai," she struggled.

"Botan, what happened?" a young voice responded.

"I-it's working, I see," she dallied, allowing just this to distract her from the urgency she carried.

"Let us talk about youth later," Genkai said, shaking her head as she lay Botan's frail figure on the tatami mat inside the temple. Closing her eyes, a movement of her hands, and Botan immediately recognized the healing ritual Genkai had performed on her countless times. Looking up, she noticed the youthful features on the master's face.

She closed her eyes then, and let herself go in the light energy surrounding her body. It beckoned her to surrender fully, to complete the process by sleep, and oh how she desired to do just that, after all she'd been through the night, but a strong nagging feeling prevented her.

After the ritual, she struggled to open her eyes. She met Genkai's concerned ones and, for reassurance and to communicate the urgency of her mission, Botan put her hand on top of the young master's on her tummy.

"We must... stop Kurama," she whispered, squeezing the hand.

"What? Which one?"

"The human. It's a trap."

"What is?"

"Keiko. He... He took Keiko, as bait."

Genkai's eyes widened. "Kurama'll take it, undoubtedly. Do they know?"

Botan dreaded the answer she would give, but there was no other choice but to face the truth the situation begged. "Yes."

"How long do we have?"

"Koenma should be holding them off. A few days... a week at most."

"Has he made contact to Kurama or Yusuke?"

"An envoy has been sent."

"Then we're already too late," Genkai whispered. She stood up, eyes downcast, and dialed a few numbers, spoke hushedly and strode back determinedly, ending with kneeling back down on the tatami.

"Nevertheless, it's worth it to try. I booked us two tickets to Cannes tomorrow, rest well, we leave at dawn."

* * *

The answer came, though not in the way Yusuke expected. And what he heard, it was enough to make him violently sick.

What's worse, Yusuke didn't even know what to feel. Anger? Frustration? Love? The fuck with demons and their unending sick mindgames!

Kurama had, earlier, explained to him two simple facts: whoever sent the letter had kidnapped Keiko, and he made it clear, at least to Kurama because Yusuke can't seem to understand how it could be so, that only Kurama's powers could rescue Keiko.

"It was implied," Kurama explained as he walked hurriedly along the cobbled Parisian streets. Yusuke kept up but had no idea where they were going. "The envoy didn't let me in. Yet the message was as for you as it was for me. And what was the difference between us? You had your powers. I didn't. The explosion was a warning that if I didn't get my powers back, what would happen to her..."

"Any idea who he is?" Yusuke said as he walked beside the fox, but still following his lead. They were bumping people's shoulders left and right but Yusuke had no time for Parisian pleasantries or apologies.

"Unfortunately, not. Just that he doesn't sound like a patient demon."

"How much time do we have?" Yusuke voiced out worriedly. Keiko... He'd never forgive himself if he lost her. He still loved her and he'd do anything to keep her from harm.

"Frankly, I don't know," Kurama huffed. They reached a quiet alley with no one along, and as they traversed the damp lane, Kurama paused in front of an old building. He hid behind the door frame of the structure and motioned for Yusuke to do the same. A mischievous glint in his eye, and Kurama had taken out a pin from his pocket and started working on the look of the door. "That's why you must hurry."

The lock gave a surrendering click and immediately Kurama rushed inside. Yusuke followed.

"Me? What am I supposed to do?" Yusuke said as they jogged upwards the dusty stairs.

Finally, they reached the 3rd floor, Kurama seemed to be satisfied, and they stopped at the middle of the landing where a blank floorboard greeted them.

"You're going back to Makai."

Yusuke's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"And what exactly am I going to do there? Rescue Keiko by myself? I thought you're needed."

"They won't be there. They're here in Ningenkai. But we must do something first before we face them... I need you to get Hiei."

Silence was what Kurama got as answer. That, and an unmistakable angry intake of breath.

"Yusuke... We don't have time. Just trust me."

"I do," Yusuke said, looking up and meeting Kurama's eye. "I just need to know why. You can't just send me on a blind mission, you know!"

The vulnerability made Kurama give pause, and all of a sudden, as if he just remembered that this was his lover he was asking to fetch the only other person he cared about the most, he scolded himself. For the hurried way he prodded Yusuke and the blunt way he asked for Hiei's presence, or because he suddenly lost the sensibility to care, he didn't know.

He stepped close to Yusuke and held him, and then kissed his forehead as the toushin hugged him tentatively.

"I need Hiei's jagan to restore my power," he whispered. "That's all, Yusuke. You know I love you, and you have me."

They kissed again, and this time it wasn't leisurely as it was full of need. And desperate shock with the speed of turnout of events.

As they pulled apart, Yusuke nodded and flared his energy, letting the Makai sinkhole appear. He took one last look at Kurama, and jumped.

* * *

It was a hot summer afternoon, all the birds agreed, and a certain fox was extremely annoyed.

Under the glaring heat of the sun of Gandara's famed training fields, his newly-recruited men stood in uneven lines before him: a forlorn troop of hunched shoulders, prissy statures, and a glazed look on their eyes as they stared at the space behind him.

As if knowing what a… _soft_, batch of recruits they had that day, his lieutenants slunk away right after delivering the lot at the briefing deck.

"What are you afraid of?" Kurama asked casually, striding along the line of men and noticing that though their eyes followed him, the stares seemed to pass _through_ him.

Quite typical of young youkai teens in a state of shock, but pretending not to be.

He felt one gulp, and immediately he strode to the boy's front. The boy had fine skin, scar-free features and long, silky hair. Hmm, nobility.

"You," he said, looking at the boy straight in the eye. "What brings you in Gandara?"

"To train under Youko Kurama's command, sir!" the teen piped out too loudly,

"And what makes you want that?" Kurama said, his annoyance slightly showing in his tone.

He was met with silence.

"When your commanding officer asks you a question, silence doesn't count as an acceptable answer."

"Um… my parents thought it would be a good idea, sir."

Eyebrows framing golden eyes arched. "Your parents?"

"You see I'm the only one in our household who has yet to find a wife sir, and they, well they thought training under you would give me some of the charm…"

The youkai's voice trailed off as he noticed that the look in the golden eyes slowly turned cold. Murderously cold.

Kurama closed his eyes, counted to ten, and breathed through his abdomen. He would not blow up. He would not blow up. He would not blow up.

That treacherous, lying, filthy, sick fire demon!

He swiftly turned around and motioned for a lieutenant to come closer.

"Put these recruits though the training module immediately. I want each and every one of them certified for Level 2 in three days."

"B-but sir," the lieutenant quivered. "That's half the time needed, even with normal recruits it will still be hard…"

Cold, murderous eyes.

"Y-yes sir, I'll get to it right away, sir."

* * *

It was not the racket outside his sleeping chambers, nor the scream of hapless soldiers, that woke him, but the stab of annoyed feeling he felt at his gut, much like a jab. Or perhaps a punch. Or a kick.

During times like these, he regretted the so-called 'connection' being mated created. Sure, it made sex and orgasm _unbelievably_ awesome, but a pissed-off fox was something he would rather deal with without the forewarning, thank you very much.

Deep inside his mind, a tiny voice scolded him that his temper was much _much_ worse, and Kurama probably felt ten times the jab that woke him whenever _he _had a tantrum, but he chose to ignore it and instead focused his attention on putting his clothes on immediately as the unmistakable vines of Kurama wrapped around the chamber doors and crushed the foot-wide stone entrance to pieces.

Kurama stood, in his tall, furry glory, calm and collected, in the middle of the rubble.

"We tried to stop him, sir- Augggh!" a soldier said, before a flock of flowers bent down and clamped their sharp teeth on his face. Peeking beyond the body of his mate, Hiei found that the entire hallway was littered with a tangle of soldier bodies and pulsating vines.

He turned his attention back at the fox. All of a sudden, their height difference bothered Hiei. He tried standing on tiptoe slowly, but it didn't seem to make much difference, so he slowly lowered his heels.

"You. Cheater."

"Hn? What is this useless racket, fox?"

"Don't play stupid, Hiei."

"Is this about the recruits?"

"Of course it's about the recruits, you lying, cheating, scum."

"Fox, shouldn't you be glad Gandara's technology and smooth façade attracts nobles, and Alaric's broken-down walls attract hardened criminal youkais?"

"I'd be glad if you had nothing to do with it."

"It's not my fault youkai think Gandara is a fucking charm school."

"They wouldn't, if your men had not been spreading that stupid rumor."

"The only rumor they're going to spread from now is how _insane_ its commander has become."

"You two make me sick."

They both turned their voices to the source of the sound, though they already knew who it was. Hiei immediately spotted Kurama bow his head in respect, and Hiei nodded the same.

"Mukuro," he acknowledged.

"Sad to say, youko," Mukuro said, nearing the two of them from the hallway. As she did, the plants withered away, releasing moaning, sap-faced soldiers. "Hiei did not spread that rumor. I'm afraid it has taken root of its own. Ever since you two _mated_," she paused for measure, making sure that her disapproval seeped into the word. "Most youkai think there's no demon the legendary Youko Kurama can't wrap around his finger. You can't blame them if they hope you can pass the charm to their offspring."

Hiei let out a smug grin at his vindication when Mukuro directed her bionic eye at him.

"Don't take this as cause for celebration," she said sharply. "I don't appreciate Makai thinking my general is not immune to the cunnings of Yomi's."

It was Kurama's turn to grin, and Hiei snorted in response.

"I don't care what these pondscum demons think."

"They probably jack off to the thoughts of us fucking, Hiei," Kurama said, winking at the demon.

Hiei was about to retort something deadly when Mukuro's energy flare grab both their attention.

"As sweet as your little lovers' quarrel seems to be, I have some news that would be of interest for both of you."

The fox's ears twitched, and Hiei grew quiet in attention.

"The detective, Yusuke Urameshi, has made his way back here."

* * *

_To be continued_

_Author's Note: I tried something different here in that the comic relief comes from Kurama/Hiei, instead of the traditional Yusuke/Hiei interaction. Not quite sure how effective it is, but it's worth a try._


End file.
